1 / 35

Animal Behavior on the Range

Animal Behavior on the Range. Jen Peterson. Rangeland Principles (REM 151). K. Launchbaugh. USDA - ARS. Basis for Animal Behavior. What affects how animals behave: 1) Born with certain abilities: Inherited abilities Physical, Sensory & Physiological Abilities 2) Born knowing what to do:

lamberson
Download Presentation

Animal Behavior on the Range

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Animal Behavior on the Range Jen Peterson Rangeland Principles (REM 151) K. Launchbaugh USDA - ARS

  2. Basis for Animal Behavior What affects how animals behave: • 1) Born with certain abilities: • Inherited abilities • Physical, Sensory & Physiological Abilities • 2) Born knowing what to do: • Called “Instincts” • 3) Learn how behave

  3. Inherited Abilities • Physical abilities affect what animals eat • Ability to eat cellulose • Capture and Consume Prey Carnivore Omnivore Herbivore Carnivore Omnivore Herbivore

  4. Species Inherited Diet Preferences Concentrate Feeder (browse) Intermediate Feeder (forbs) Roughage Feeder (grass) Photos – K. Launchbaugh

  5. 70 60 50 Percent of Observations 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80+ Percent Slope Inherited Abilities • Physical abilities affect where animals eat Cattle Horses Deer Bighorn Figure 10.2 Relationship of slope gradient to the percentage of observations of cattle, feral horses, deer, and bighorn sheep. (From Ganskopp and Vavra 1987)

  6. Inherited Abilities Bailey et al. 2001; J. Anim. Sci.

  7. Inherited Abilities Brangus…..traveled further from waterthan…..Hereford or Angus Brangus consumed different diets than Hereford or Angus Winder et al. 1996

  8. Inherited Behaviors - Instincts • Mammals know how to find milk and stay close to mother. • Basic ideas of what is cover & how to hide • Preference for salty foods • Preference for sweet… not sure Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

  9. Inherited Behavior - Instincts • Behavioral characteristics can be inherited • Example = Guard Dogs vs Herding Dogs K.Launchbaugh USDA-ARS

  10. + - Learned Behaviors • Behavior Results from Consequences Behavior Behave Consequences Behavior

  11. 4 Basic Learning Paradigms

  12. Young animals clearly learn what to eat avoid from their mother Early life experiences are influential

  13. Young animals lean what and how to eat

  14. Learning from Mother Exposure to Wheat1 hr/day for 5 days 6 Weeks Age 34 Months Age wheat wheat wheat wheat wheat With Mother Graze - No Wheat Alone No Wheat Green et al. 1984

  15. Learning from Mother Intake of Wheat (g/head/day) Age When Tested for Wheat Intake Green et al. 1984

  16. Learning from Mother Intake of Wheat (g/head/day) Age When Tested for Wheat Intake Green et al. 1984

  17. Early Life Experience is Influential • Preferences are formed

  18. Early dietary experience • Goats - 6 weeks old • Experienced: raised on blackbrush range • Inexperienced:drylot fed alfalfa pellets • Weaned at 26 weeks • Week 28 - offered all goats blackbrush in pens R. Distel Distel & Provenza 1991

  19. Early dietary experience Distel & Provenza 1991

  20. Animals must learn how to eat Click Video or Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DbUaZ3SHH8&feature=plcp

  21. + - Animals learn based on consequences Behavior Behave Consequences Behavior

  22. Preference + Eat Plant(taste) Digestive Feedback - Aversion Animals learn based on consequences

  23. Preference + Eat Plant(taste) Digestive Feedback - Aversion Animals learn based on consequences

  24. How to Create Conditioned Aversions? Mountain-Mahogany No Feedback (empty capsule) Nausea(LiCl)

  25. How to Create Conditioned Aversions? Control Averted(LiCl 3g/day) Lambs quit eating mountain mahogany when consumption was followed by nausea.

  26. Why don’t livestock eat sagebrush? Intake of Ration (g/day/kg BW) Sagebrush Levels in Ration (%)

  27. Preference + Eat Plant(taste) Digestive Feedback - Aversion Animals learn based on consequences

  28. Sheep “learn” to like straw Click Video or Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsGAIxDldAg&feature=plcp

  29. How to create a Conditioned Preference? Straw Feedbackstarch Controlwater

  30. Energy Increases Palatability Intake of straw, g Day

  31. How to get sheep to eat more sagebrush?

  32. Nutrient - Toxin Interactions Intake of Sagebrush, g

  33. Use of Sagebrush by Sheep Supplemented Sagebrush, % Scans Unsupplemented Day

  34. Creating “Designer” livestock • Select animals that naturally possess the desired ingestive characteristics • Breed animals with these abilities • Prepare animals with prescribed dietary experiences • Offer animals nutritional or pharmaceutical resources to aid in digestion or detoxification

  35. For More information: www.behave.net

More Related